by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Hastings College— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Hastings, 68% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $8,069 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,536. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at Hastings, 63% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $6,469 a year. This is 16.9% larger than the $5,536 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,938 in two years and roughly $25,876 across a four-year program. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 63% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,469 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 607 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,926,840 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Hastings carry a median federal debt of $15,595 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,595 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,686 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Hastings.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,000 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Hastings.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Hastings.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 203 | $18,700 |
| Completed (graduates) | 103 | $27,500 |
| Did not complete | 100 | $14,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $327.0/mo.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Hastings.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Hastings is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 307 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,645 |
| Middle income | $15,465 |
| High income | $16,750 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,875 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,432 |
| Independent students | $20,250 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Hastings.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Important to Remember
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.